Notes from Day 2 of Outdoor Retailer Show

The North Face and Asics show off new items, and Speedo makes a splash.

Runner’s World contributing editor Lisa Jhung is attending the Outdoor Retailer Trade Show in Salt Lake City, which runs from July 31 to August 2. Some highlights from Day 2:

Day 2 started off as most potentially great days do – with a run, as hundreds of Outdoor Retailer attendees hit the streets of Salt Lake City with waves and nods to other runners trying to get in a good workout before heading inside the convention center for the day.

I boarded a bus at 6:15 a.m. for what The North Face calls its Mountain Athletics workout. And while I thought I might be going on a trail run where we’d drop for some pushups here and there, I ended up doing squats, lunges and sprints dragging a wooden crate across the pavement while carrying a TNF duffle bag filled with 20 pounds of sand. (Though, when the Runner’s World group run went by, I felt compelled to join them for a quick mile or so.)

The theory behind Mountain Athletics is that athletes need to train for their event, whether they run ultras, climb rocks or ski. The workouts are CrossFit-like, and are intended to strengthen and increase an athlete’s durability. The North Face introduced a line of clothing and a shoe called the Kilowatt meant to support athletes doing these sorts of workouts (but not a shoe meant to be run in). It’s an interesting foray from the outdoor brand.

On the show floor, Asics showed off updates to well-known shoes and introduced a new Gel Electro 33 ($110, Jan. 1 release date, shown below), a sister shoe to the Gel-Lyte 33 and Gel-Excel 33. The Electro is built on the same 33 platform, offering a natural feel that mimics the movement of the foot, but with some stability built in. Asics—at an end-of-day fashion show for media types—also debuted a new trail running apparel line with revamped GEL-Fuji Racer 3 and Fuji Trainer 2.

A trend in apparel, aside from the cut-out backs on shirts shown by a few brands, is the boxer-brief liner inside stretch woven running shorts for both men and women. Asics (first photo below), Brooks, The North Face and SmartWool (second photo below) all have shorts with semi-supportive, longer shorts built-in. Some of these longer liners have side pockets that rest right against the leg—a nice, non-bounce option for gels, a key or whatnot.

New to the running market is Speedo, which launches the FST (shown below), a 7.6-ounce (men’s 9) neutral running shoe with a hydrophobic upper and drainage holes (this is Speedo, after all). The shoe may prove popular among triathletes, mud runners and oft-wet obstacle course/adventure run participants.

The minimal trend is seeing change in the form of cushioning throughout many brands. Even super-minimal Skora introduced the Fit ($95, 8.2 ounces, shown below), which adds a few millimeters of cushioning to the midsole and sockliner while still maintaining its barely there profile. Merrell’s new All Out Fuse ($110) and All Out Rush ($120) are built on a new midsole with polyeurethane pods sitting on cushy EVA, meant to provide fit, feel and protection.